Geneva (dpa) - The ex-mistress of one of France's wealthiest men was sentenced Thursday to eight and a half years in jail for his murder. She could have faced up to 20 years in prison.

Cecile B., as she is known in the Swiss media, was found guilty of shooting Edouard Stern, who worked in Geneva as a banker, four times while they were engaged in a sado-masochistic sex game.

Stern's body was found in March 2005, in his posh apartment in the Swiss city, dressed in a full-body, flesh-coloured latex outfit, with gunshots to his head and upper body.

The two apparently had a fight over money, after he would not agree to hand over to her complete control 1 million dollars. She wanted the money as a sign of his love for her, she said. She later said her anger was over love, not money.

During the final sex game, in which he was in a passive position, he had apparently insulted her, using the word "whore." She then killed him with a revolver.

A jury of 12 people had found Cecile guilty of murder on Wednesday, after a trial lasting a week in a Geneva court. Her lawyer had tried to claim the murder was a crime of passion, but failed to convince.

In court she said she still loved Stern, who was 50 at the time of his death. She also asked for forgiveness from his family.

The jury said they found her actions deliberate. After trying to clean up the murder scene and ditching the weapon into the lake, she fled to at least two other European countries before eventually being brought to Geneva for her trial.

Cecile, born in Paris and now aged 40, has already served four years in prison. She could end up being released within a couple of years, if she gets out early for good behaviour.

Stern, who was born into a banking family, had amassed a huge fortune in business, and was estimated to be amongst France's 50 wealthiest people. His way to the top was not without some harsh tactics, including the ousting of his own father from the family-run bank.